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y1. 11. HENDRiCK.

Bee Hive.

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JOHN H'. HENDRlC/K, OF CLINTON, ILLINOIS, ASSI'G'NOR TO HIMSELF ANDJAMES O. DONALD.

Letters Patent Nb. 69,43l, dated October 1, 1867.

IMPROVEMENT IN BEE-HIVES.

TO ALL WHOM I'l MAY OOXCERN:

Be it known that I, JOHN H. IIENDHICK, of Clinton, in the county oi' DeWitt, and in the State of' Illinois, have invented a new and nsetulImprovement in Bee-Hives; and I do hereby declare that the following isa full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to theannexed drawing, making part of this specification, in which- Figure Iis a. front elevation of the hive.

Figure 2 is a sido elevation oi' the same.

Figure 3, a vertical section on the line X. X, iig. l.

Figure 4, a plan or top View of a portion ofthe hive.

Figures 5 and 6 are sections of the two divisions ofthe hive on the lineXI-XI of iig. 2; and

Figure Tis a view of the sliding door for the entrance to hive.

In all the igures like parts are indicated by the same letters ofreference.-

My improved hive consists of two parts or divisions, an upper and alower one. In the lower division the bees are allowed to accumulatetheir stores for their own consumption, and in the upper division arereceived the surplus results of their labor, in such a form that'iit mayhe removed without disturbing the bees, and in a condition to be packedfor market.

In the drawing, A, gs. l, 2, 3, and 5, is the lower division of thehive, having an entrance, B, for the bees, extending across the wholewidth of the hive, near the bot-tom, on the front side, which entranceis provided with a sliding adjustable door, C, (see tig. 7.) rI"hedivision A may also, if necessary, be furnished with a door, A@ on theback, to be secured by hook and staple or any simple and equivalentdevice. The loor A of the hive slopes down from rear to front, so thatrefuse and dirt may not accumulate, but roil. oilp and he easily removedthrough the entrance B. A weather-strip, A", extends across the front ofthe hiue, over the entrance, to shelter it from the weather. Stripsorcleats D are secured to the sides of the division A, near the top, toserve as l handles, and prevent the sides from warping, while they alsoact as weather-strips to protect the .'entilators a a., which arepcrforations through the sides ot the hive, covered on the inside withscreens ot" wire gauze. On the outside of the hive are covers or valveso b, of sheet metal, whereby to regulate the ventilation. The

' sliding door C (see figs. 1, 3, and 'il moves in grooves cut in theinner surfaces of the sides of the hive, and is rendered adjustable inthe width of its opening, and secured in place by means of pins cpassing through holes in the sides of the hive into holes 1:/ c in theends of the door C. It also has Ventilating holes d d through it,covered on the inside with wire `gauze, and a small door-opening, C,covered with a sheet-metal slide, perforated with small holes, to heused when it is desirable to allow but a narrow space for the bees to gothrough into and out ot the hive. In the division A of thek hive aresuspended the comb-frames E E. 'Ihesc are shown in the drawing as beingeight in number, but there may be more or less, according to the size ofthe hive, and are intended for the support of thc stores of the becs, tobe used by them during the winter. Onehalf of these frames has anangular strip, e, (sce figs. 3 and 5,) extendinr'galong the under sideof the top har, say a quarter of an inch deep, and a square cross-bar,f,extending from one side of the frame to the other,

placed at one-third of the distance down from the top bar, whichcross-har is perforated with holes for the passage of the bees throughfrom one frame to another, when they are filled with comb. The otherhalf of the frames E is furnished with strips e', say three-quarters of'an inch deep, and has its perforated cross-bars j" onc-halt` thedistance down. The frames E E areplaced alternately with each other, asshown in fig. 3, L suspended on ledges in the top of the sides of thedivision A of the hive, and at a suicient distance from each other andfrom the sides of the hive to permitthe bees to pass freely in alldirections around them; and they are kept in position by broad-headedtacks our little blocks ott wood, placed at convenient pointsupon them.The cross-barsff' are so placed as to have a corner uppermost, that is,diagonally with the sides of the frames, and these, with the angularstrips c e', give stability to the comb as it is built, and regularityto its structure. Vhci:I there is no door A to the division, thecomb-frames will he suspended from the front and rear of the hive, or atright angles with the position shown in the drawing. F is the upperdivision of the hive, resting u-pon land covering the lower division A,vto which itis secured by hooks and staples y y. The top E" is hinged tothe rear side, and forms a lid, which, when shut, is securedoy hooks andstaples g' g. The

bottom is perforated with holesh l1., figs. 4 and 6, to permit freecommunication between the upper and lower divisions of the hive. In thefront ofthe division F is a door, G, covered by a slide of perforatedsheet metal, to regulate its opening, which door permits the bees tohave direct uecessto thejupper division when necessary, Withoutcausingthem to travel the distance from the entrance B upwards. rlhedoor Gis covered with a. weather strip, as shown in figs. l, 2, and 3.Ventilating holes a', covered on the inside with nii-@gauze screens, andou the outside with regulators b', are made in the sides of the upperdivision F similar to those in the lower division A. In theupperdivision Far-e suspended boxes or drawers II, the ends of which are notquite equal in width to the depth of the box or drawer, so that a spaceis left at each end through which thebees eau enter between the comb andthe back or bottom of the box or drawer H. The top of" the bo'x ordrawer H has an angular strip, I, extending along its under side, (seefigs. 3 and 6,) which serves the same purpose as the strips e c in thecomb-frames, before described. The boxes or drawers H are deeper thantho colnblframes E E', and consequently are fewer in number. In 'thedrawing tive are shown, and they are plaeed at such a. distance apart,and from the sides of the division F, as to permit the bees to luovearound between and on every side of them. Broad-headed tacks or blocksof wood are used, as on the comb-frames E E, to keep them in position.These boxes are intended to receive the comb and honey that will be madeafter the bees have filled the comb-frames in the lower division A ofthehive, and have laid in their Winter store. They can be removed as theyare filled and empty boxes put in their places without disturbing thebees or the honey which they have garnered;

Having'thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new therein,and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The comb-frames E E, with their cross-bars ff, perforated as and forthe purpose described, in coinbination with the lower division A of thehive, and the door C and its adjunets, substantially as set forth.

2. The surplus-honey boxes or drawers H, constructed substantially asand'for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination ofthe surplus-honey boxes H, when constructed andarranged substantially as described with the upper division F.

In testimony that I claim the above'deseribed improvement in bee-hives Ihave hereunto signed my name this 24th day of April, 1867.

f JOHN H. HENDRICK.

Witnesses:

WM. H. TAYLOR, Jos. J. KELLY.

